LRAB Page 429
Page 429
Fudge looked at her with satisfaction; he knew that Umbridge had understood his intentions.
—This is a trap set for Harry Potter.
If that kid dares to misuse magic outside, he'll have enough reason for Dumbledore to expel him.
This way, he could further weaken Dumbledore's influence at Hogwarts, while also giving Harry Potter a harsh lesson.
Umbridge nodded respectfully and then left Fudge's office.
She already understood Fudge's intentions and also saw it as an opportunity for her to be promoted.
She knew how to subtly cater to Fudge's wishes and how to utilize the Minister of Magic's power and influence.
More importantly, she knew how to make Fudge completely trust her and regard her as one of his few trusted confidantes.
Umbridge understood that if she could win Fudge's trust, she would be one step closer to a higher position in the Department of Magical Accidents and Disasters.
Before she turned 30, she had already become the head of the Office of the Prohibition of the Abuse of Magic. After Jaina took full control of the Department of Law Enforcement, she was transferred to the Department of Magical Accidents and Disasters, where she served as the deputy director for many years, accumulating a wealth of skills, methods and insights.
She was also well aware that the Ministry of Magic had always longed to have a place in Hogwarts, and that being able to play a key role in this matter would greatly benefit her future advancement.
However, she also realized that there was an important prerequisite for her to obtain this position—that she had to help Fudge deal with Harry Potter.
Fudge's words served as a reminder to Umbridge that Harry Potter had violated the International Confederation of Wizards' Law of Secrecy on numerous occasions in the past.
If he breaks the law again, the Ministry of Magic will have a legitimate reason to expel him.
She felt that passively waiting for Harry to make a mistake was incredibly foolish.
She could easily take the initiative and force Harry to use magic outside of school.
It wouldn't be difficult to force Harry Potter to use magic.
Just then, Fudge handed over control of the Dementors to her.
Umbridge believed that if things were handled properly and no evidence was left, Fudge would not investigate why the Dementors were chasing Harry Potter. Instead, he would be happy to see the opportunity to expel the troublesome boy from Hogwarts.
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This summer was the hottest Harry had ever seen in his life.
The once lush and verdant meadows of the Muggles have become withered and fragile under the relentless drought, as if the years have drained their life force.
The drought has become so severe that even the use of irrigation hoses has been strictly prohibited. This once vibrant land can now only eke out a living under the scorching sun.
The residents of Privet Road used to spend their leisure time polishing their beloved cars or trimming their lawns, but now, both of these pastimes have been dashed by the ban.
Helpless, they retreated into the shady house, opening the windows wide in hopes of catching a sliver of non-existent cool breeze to dispel the stuffiness inside.
However, in this sweltering street, only Harry remained steadfastly outdoors.
He lay flat in the flower bed outside No. 4 Ligustrum Road. The soil in the flower bed was dry and cracked, and a few tenacious little grasses struggled to survive in the cracks.
Harry closed his eyes, as if listening to the whispers in the wind, or perhaps eavesdropping on news from another world.
He would rather endure the scorching sun and mosquito bites here than return to that suffocating house and face those unwarranted accusations and strange looks.
What made him even more uneasy was that, since receiving a letter from Ron at the beginning of the holiday, he had been cut off from all contact with the magical world. It felt like being thrown into an endless abyss of darkness, unable to find even a glimmer of light.
After Sirius Black brought him back to the Muggle world, he left their temporary home on Privet Drive under various pretexts, disappearing without a trace, leaving Harry alone there.
Whenever the night is deep and quiet, and Harry is lost in thought, he would suddenly sit up in bed and start flipping through his well-worn magic books over and over again.
Only among these pages could he find a sliver of comfort to soothe his inner unease and fear, to tell him that the world was real, and that it was not a dream.
However, after turning the pages and reciting the incantation, he was still faced with an empty room and endless darkness.
That feeling of frustration and loss would then overwhelm him like a tidal wave, leaving him unable to breathe, unable to struggle, and unable to escape.
Harry stared boredly at the sky above. The sky under the blazing sun was quite beautiful, almost transparently blue, with a few white clouds drifting lazily by occasionally.
Suddenly, his eyes narrowed slightly, as if he had caught something unusual.
He sat bolt upright, instinctively shielding his eyes with his hand. In the distance, a tiny black dot flew in from the horizon. Harry's heart pounded. He turned to make sure Hedwig was still asleep in the bedroom. So, what was that on the horizon—
He jumped up excitedly, but unexpectedly bumped his head hard against the Dursleys' open window.
With a loud bang, Aunt Penny's terrified scream immediately echoed through the room.
Harry felt as if his head had been split in two; the pain made his vision go black, and tears welled up involuntarily. ... Ignoring his blurred vision, he staggered and ran into the street.
This move was undoubtedly wise, because he hadn't run far when he heard his Uncle Vernon's angry roar.
Hali shook his head vigorously, trying to clear his vision. At the same time, he waved frantically at the owl in the sky, as if he had seen a long-lost relative.
Fortunately, the weather was hot, and pedestrians on the street were all staying at home to avoid the heat. No one peeked out to watch this scene, otherwise they would have thought he was crazy.
When the owl finally flew close, Harry's joy was indescribable.
He recognized the bird that was spreading its wings and flying toward him as Levin's owl, Hermes.
Gently stroking Hamer's head, Harry felt a long-lost sense of warmth and comfort.
He finally made contact with that world.
He couldn’t wait to untie the two letters that were tied to the owl’s feet.
Harry's fingers trembled slightly as he picked up the envelope, feeling that the contents were rather heavy. He carefully opened it, and three pieces of paper floated out—two letters and a photograph.
He was first drawn to the photograph.
Hermione, Cho Chang, Luna, and Levin stood in front of a magnificent castle, their smiles radiant and warm, as if they could reach Harry's heart through the photograph.
Harry looked at them in the photo and a happy smile unconsciously appeared on his face.
Even her goddess appeared in the photo—which clearly meant that her relationship with Levin was quite ambiguous.
Harry opened Levin's letter first, a look of envy on his face. How he wished he could be like Levin, spending every day with his good friends and freely using magic!
Although Levine's letter didn't mention anything about the wizarding world, the fact that communication with the wizarding world could be restored was exciting for Harry.
Harry then tore open Hermione's letter, his brow furrowing slightly.
"For some reason, I couldn't get in touch with you when the holidays started..." Hermione's handwriting was as neat and strong as ever, but Harry could feel the apology and worry between the lines.
He understood that Hermione 4.9 was a very responsible person, and she wouldn't miss contacting him unless something important was holding her back.
"...You should study hard, because we'll soon be facing the Common Wizarding Level exams. This is very important; it not only affects our academic performance but also the types of jobs we can apply for in the future. I remember you want to be an Auror, so you'll need to pay extra attention to courses like Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, and Charms."
As expected of Hermione, she couldn't stop talking about studying and exams. Harry was both annoyed and amused by this.
“You can learn a lot during the summer vacation,” Hermione encouraged in her letter. “If you get good grades, we can choose the NEWT subjects we want next year. That will bring us one step closer to realizing our dreams.”
There was still a long time before the regular wizarding exams. Harry shook his head, carefully folded the letter, and put it in his pocket along with the photo.
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Update [4/3], Bonus Chapter [95/110]
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Chapter 479 Dementor Attack
The sweltering summer day is finally coming to an end.
The setting sun, like blood, gradually dyed the sky red, and the clouds on the horizon seemed to be scorched, emitting a faint red glow.
At the end of Mulan Road, on Mulan Flower Crescent Street, an amusement park stands quietly with its doors tightly closed, as if it had been forgotten.
Suddenly, four figures appeared outside the amusement park.
“【The Cave of Alaho Opens】.” A low female voice rang out.
“Harry should be inside.” Levin stepped on the dry grass and looked into the amusement park. “We spent too much time in that arcade, we need to hurry.”
The main reason they didn't send Orianna but instead tried to track Harry themselves was because they were bored out of their minds.
Levin wanted to take the three girls for a walk along Privet Road, stroll around the streets, and visit the amusement park there to relax.
The amusement park was as empty as the surrounding streets. The amusement park gate was opened by an invisible hand, and after a few seconds, it closed by itself.
“He’s over there,” Levin said, pointing ahead.
The four of them stopped there. Despite the dim light, following the direction Levin was pointing, they could see a boy with messy hair and round-framed glasses sitting alone on a swing.
He casually draped one arm over the iron chain, and gazed at the ground with a somewhat melancholy look in his eyes.
The swing swayed gently in the breeze, as if telling a story of his inner loneliness.
Suddenly, he raised his hand and gently rubbed the scar on his forehead, his brows furrowing slightly, as if he were enduring some indescribable pain.
“His scars are hurting again,” Hermione said softly, a hint of worry in her eyes.
Harry, lost in thought on the swing, was followed from a distance by Levin, Hermione, Cho Chang, and Luna, who were keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings.
Night fell quietly, bringing a sultry yet gentle evening. The air was filled with the warm scent of hay, adding a touch of pastoral charm to the darkness. All around was quiet, save for the occasional low rumble of vehicles coming from the road outside the playground fence.
Suddenly, a commotion broke the silence.
Harry looked up and around, trying to pinpoint the source of the sound.
The surrounding streets cast a hazy glow under the streetlights. A group of figures were crossing the amusement park, one of them loudly humming a vulgar song, eliciting uproarious laughter from the others. Accompanying this were soft ding-ding sounds, the noise of several expensive racing cars being pushed along.
Among them, a particularly eye-catching figure led the way—it was Harry's cousin Dudley Dursley, who was being swaggered home, surrounded by a group of cronies.
Levin had seen him as a child, and after several years, the changes were truly astonishing. He was still tall and strong, but the chubby little boy he once was was gone, replaced by a muscular and robust young man.
However, they did not find Harry hiding in the shadows.
Harry sat quietly on the swing, watching the group leave. Only after Dudley said goodbye to his friends did he tiptoe out from under the tree, preparing to go home.
Harry, who had just received letters from his friends, had calmed down considerably.
He didn't want any conflict with the annoying Dudley and just hoped to get through the night peacefully.
But things didn't go as planned. Dudley had been strolling leisurely, humming a tuneless little tune. However, the sudden change in weather made him quicken his pace, and he jogged along the path Harry had just taken.
In a narrow alley, Dudley unexpectedly spotted Harry ahead of him.
A sly glint flashed in his eyes as he followed Harry into the alley. The alley was deserted and much darker than the two streets it connected to, as it lacked streetlights.
One side of the alley was the garage wall, and the other side was a tall fence. This enclosed environment made Harry and Dudley's footsteps sound particularly dull.
Levin and his three companions followed at a distance, stopping at the alley entrance. They watched Harry and Dudley's movements warily, ready to respond to any unexpected situations.
"Hey, why are you hiding from me?"
Dudley grinned wickedly with a hint of provocation, his two thick, ham-like hands clenched into fists. "Has your murderous godfather really abandoned you? Those damn owls haven't come in a long time, have they? And all your so-called friends are ignoring you now, aren't they?"